Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-05-12

ion came to prevail throughout the Fedora
army that Vicksburg would yield without
further resistance. Filled with this ides
the Union forces confidently approached
the outworks of Vicksburg on the morning
OF May 10, but found the Confederate:
without these in line of battle. They soor
retired. however, and meantime the Fed
erals, by this time convinced that the foe
in front intended to fight, approached eau
tiously but determinately.
The division established its hospital
about four miles from the Confederate
works at the house OF o man named SWEET
The house was built mainly OF logs in the
center of large yard that sloped down in
nearly every direction.
Every thing was got In readiness at the
hospital to receive the wounded. The sur
geons had their instruments all ready for
use; long, bright, razor-edged knives for
cutting through fieshy parts in amputa-
tons and sharp-toothed, shining saws for
saving bone. Then there were strong for.
ceps for extracting bullets, bone pliers for
shipping off Jagged ends Of bone and tour
niquets for ARE sting hemorrhage.
Sponges for washing wounds and lint
and bandages for dressing them were in
plentiful supply.
Among the more prominent drugs were
morphine, for alleviatihg pain, chloroform
and ether for producing d,testhesia (nsensi-
bility to suffering), brandy, wine, whisky
and quinine forexhaustion, and perchloride
of iron, apowerful styptic, to stop bleeding.
To be used in the way of nourishment
there were beef essences, condensed milk,
strong coffee, beef soup, broths, crackers,
ETC., etc.
The yard at Swett's was filed with shade
trees, and under these it was proposed to
put the wounded. Ambulances were sent
TO the front and every thing was IN readi-
ness at the hospital to make as comfortable
as possible the injured. Towards noon the
writer went forward couple of miles;
since eight o'clock there had been firing
and this grew heavier and heavier as the
day advanced As yet, however, there
was but little in the immediate front, but
nearly all was to the right. Sherman with
the Fifteenth Corps was on the extreme
right, Mcpherson (Seventeenth Corpse
was in the center and McClernand (Thir-
teenth Corps) was on the left.
At noon the firing to the right became
very heavy, TIE musketry was incessant
and this was very frequently punctuated
with the boom of cannon Gradually the
incessant report of musketry and frequent
boom of cannon crept round to the left, and
in the afternoon the whole line was en-
gagged. Toward evening the ambulances
commenced coming in loaded with the
wounded. These poor fellows had to be
lifted carefully from the ambulances and
laid around upon the ground till the sur
geonS could examine and care for their in
juries Two or three operating tables had
been extemporized with boards; at each of
these surgeons were soon busily at work
amputating legs and arms probing wounds
and otherwise operating upon the injured
The great majority of injuries came from
musket balls, few came from pieces Of
she'll, and occasionally one from a grape
shot
Nearly all were perforating wounds,
though occasionally only bruise was found
and this usually came from piece of
shell. Where bones of extremities were
seriously injured amputations were near
Is always resorted to. In the case of the
arm, however, especially between the
shoulder and elbow, if the joints were not
involved, the wound was enlarged and the
ragged ends of bones pared off smoothly,
the arm put in splint and If the case re-
suited fortunately, sort of gristle first
and later bony structure took the place
of the original hard bone. This operation
was called a TeSectiou. ALI sorts of wounds
were received. One poor fellow was shot
in the face in such way that the whole
lower jaw was taken off, the wound how
ever was not necessarily fatal.